


Mulligan

by Hagar



Series: Project: Aftermath [2]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Genre: Character Study, Experimental, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Proper Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-08-01
Updated: 2004-08-01
Packaged: 2017-10-02 16:39:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hagar/pseuds/Hagar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merry-go-around of choices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mulligan

**Author's Note:**

> Experimental structure. If you're lost, follow the numbers.

#### 8.

"So, are you mad at me?" asked Tommy.

"Mad at you?" repeated Jason slowly. "You don't honestly think… You do" he finished in astonishment, seeing as Tommy wouldn't meet his eyes. "You're a weird one bro, do you know that?"

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It's a yes. No, not to that question!" added Jason hastily as Tommy flinched. "It's no, I'm not mad at you, and yes, I'll take you up on the offer". Tommy's face lit up with such happiness that Jason couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You really thought I'd be mad at you?"

"I thought maybe you wanted some peace and quiet…"

"No, bro, this is precisely what I needed" said Jason, clapping Tommy on the back, "This is just the right thing"

* * *

#### 1.

"Jason!"

Sitting at his desk, Jason heard Zack knock on the door – or perhaps kicking it.

"Jason, open up, man!"

Jason got up and opened the door. Zack tumbled in, carrying an alarmingly tall stack of thick volumes. Jason stared at Zack as he dropped the pile on his desk with a sigh. "What on Earth…?"

"Just a couple of textbooks, that's all" said Zack cheerfully.

"A couple of textbooks", repeated Jason slowly. He walked over to the desk and picked up one of the book. "O-Chem?" he asked uncertainly.

"You know I've been thinking about going to Med School?", asked Zack. "Well, I need to catch up on a couple of subjects"

Jason shook his head, smiling. "It's going to be a new experience, watching you study. I don't think you ever did one page of homework in your life"

"Didn't stop me from getting top grades" said Zack lightly. "Now, where's the coke supply?". He walked over to his wardrobe, opened it, and pulled a coke from the back of one of the shelves.

"Want one?" he asked Jason. "I've got enough in there"

"You know we're not supposed to have coke in the dorms, do you?" asked Jason, but took it nonetheless.

"So?" asked Zack, pulling another one for himself. "Cheers"

The two boys settled down.

"So, you're thinking about Med School?" asked Jason after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Yes, yes, I know", said Zack, sighing dramatically, "I don't need Mad School, I'm mad enough as it is"

Jason choked on his drink, and Zack sniggered.

"I mean, it's a little out of the blue, isn't it?" asked Jason, once he had managed to extract the coke from his lungs.

Zack shrugged. "Dunno", he said. "I considered Ecology – it's probably the most important thing being done today – but I love people, so I figured that I'd better pick something people-centered. But yeah, I haven't talked about it with anyone just yet – so it must come as a bit of a surprise to you, even if I've been thinking about it for while. What about you? You've got a thick one on your desk too".

"Well…" Jason hesitated, but finally said: "It's the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', if you have to know"

"The "Ultimate" edition, huh?" asked Zack. "It's a classic, just don't fall asleep reading it on your back, that's all"

"Say, do you feel like going out tonight?" asked Jason suddenly. "You, Trini and me?"

"Trini has this big debate day after tomorrow, I don't think she'll agree"

"I asked her already. We're only going out for a coffee, no big deal"

"Oh, fine then. Hi, since when do you drink coffee?"

"Since"

* * *

#### 7.

"Wow, you really are rusty", said Tommy, picking up his water bottle.

"I warned you", said Jason, taking a large gulp from his bottle.

"Not as rusty as you said you are"

"C'mon, you beat me bad"

"Yeah, but it's not like you shot no points at all"

"You're being too kind". Jason emptied the bottle, and fetched another one from his bag. "Anyway, since when are you the basketball type?"

"I'm not"

"So why'd you ask me to play?"

"'Cause the others are bound to be at the Youth Center, and you haven't told then that you're back just yet". Tommy shrugged. "I figured that none of them is the basketball type either"

"And you're afraid to engage in a civilian-Ranger spar"

"That too", agreed Tommy.

"Come on, Tommy"

"You said that you're out of shape", said Tommy. "Plus civilian-Ranger spars have a way of going awfully wrong"

"You're being stupid"

"Name me one occasion on which the civilian didn't get injured"

"You" said Jason promptly. "In the final of the Martial Arts Expo, the first time we met"

Tommy groaned. "You just strengthened my point", he said. "Now I'll be double afraid to go on the mats with you"

"What, so we won't spar against each other?"

"Actually…"

"What? You're not looking me in the eye, bro"

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about"

* * *

#### 2.

"How come, with all the coffee shops in this city, we always end up at the same one?" wondered Zack as the three of them set down at their regular table.

"I like it here" said Trini, putting her bag on the vacant chair. "It's spacious, but not too big"

"And there are always people" added Jason. "Hangouts should have lots of people"

"Did you know that originally, the word 'Hangout' meant 'A place where one lives'?" asked Trini.

"Really?" wondered Jason. "It's kind of fitting, I guess. We spent so much time at the Youth Center, we could have moved there and it would take our folks a couple of days to notice"

"Man, did you have to remind me?" asked Zack. "I still miss that place. And Ernie"

"We all do, Zack", said Trini.

"It's just funny, you know? It's been – what? Almost two years? – and we miss a _hangout_"

"Trini got it right", said Jason. "A true hangout is more than a place to sit over a smoothie or a latte"

"So what you're saying is, a coffee shop can't be a true hangout" stated Trini.

Jason blinked. "Did I just say that?"

"The lady has had too much debate" observed Zack – which cost him an elbow to the ribs. "Ouch!"

"I still practice Kong Fu", Trini warned him.

"And she's good enough to throw me on the mats, so you'd better watch out" added Jason.

Zack straightened his back. "Are you suggesting that I _can't_ throw you on the mats?"

Jason shrugged. "I don't know", he said. "It's been a while since we last sparred"

This made Zack pause for a moment. "It has, hasn't it", he finally said. "I can't remember when was the last time we sparred together"

"Five months ago" said Jason. "And 21 days"

"What, no minutes?"

Jason checked his watch. "Minus two hours"

"I was joking, man"

"I know you did"

Zack eyed his skeptically, making Jason crack a smile.

"Honestly", he said.

* * *

#### 6.

Jason picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Jase"

"Hi, Tommy. What's up?"

"Fine, how's with you?"

"Great. Do you feel like going out?"

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Shooting a couple of baskets, something like that"

"Man, I'm totally rusty; I haven't played basketball in, like, ages"

"Good, so I'll get to beat you once in a lifetime"

"We'll see about that, bro"

* * *

#### 3.

"How did we get to this subject anyway?" asked Trini. She and the two guys have been dredging up fond memories of Angel Grove for the last half an hour.

Zack and Jason looked at each other.

"The Youth Center", said Jason finally.

"Hangouts". Zack clicked his fingers. "We were talking about hangouts"

"You asked why we come to this specific spot so often", agreed Trini, "And Jason brought up the Youth Center. Why, really?"

"Why what?" asked Jason.

"Why bring up the Youth Center? I mean, it's not an obvious topic", said Trini. "Before you brought it up, it's been a considerable while since I last thought about the place"

Jason shrugged.

"Come on man, what's up?" asked Zack. "Something's eating you up lately"

"I noticed it, too", said Trini.

"Really?" asked Jason, surprised. "You didn't say anything"

Zack sighed dramatically. "Jason, man, I love you like a brother, you know that?"

"Yes", answered Jason carefully.

"So believe me when I tell you that you can be the thickest man on Earth sometimes"

"What Zack means is, you obviously needed time to think things over", said Trini. "So we waited until you'd be ready to talk. And if you're not ready just yet, we'll just keep waiting"

"No, it's okay", said Jason. Looking down, he stirred what was left of his coffee. "Actually, that's why I asked you guys out tonight"

* * *

#### 5.

"Jason?"

It was one voice Jason would recognize anywhere. Knowing he was in for an earful, he spun around.

"Hello, Tommy"

Tommy Oliver glared at his best bro, hands on hips. "Jason Lee Scott", he said, and noticed that the slightly shorter guy winced at Tommy's accusing tone, "You were going to tell me that you're back on this side on the Atlantic _when_? Oh no, you do _not_ get to give me puppy eyes!"

"Let's take this outside, okay Tommy?" suggested Jason. The other shoppers were already looking at them – and Jason had a feeling that an infamous Tommy-Tantrum was on the way.

Tommy muttered something intelligible – but it was probably a "yes" as he went to the door. Jason kept right by his side.

"Alright", he said once they were outside. "Now you can punch me if you want"

"Punch you?" Tommy was still glaring. "If I lay one finger on you, I swear I'm going to strangle you! Up until a short moment ago, I thought you were in Europe with Zack and Trini at the Youth Summit, and here you are buying milk in the supermarket! You're lucky I didn't mistake you for one of Mondo's creations!"

"Sorry"

"You don't get to 'sorry' me, either! When the _hell_ did you get back and why the _hell_ didn't you tell me?"

"I only got back yesterday", said Jason. "And I didn't tell you because it all happened so fast"

Tommy's anger deflated at Jason's quite tone.

"Did anything happen?" he asked. "I mean, like anything bad?"

Jason smiled slightly. "No, nothing bad happened". Jason had the feeling that if he told Tommy that anybody at the Summit had hurt him, Tommy would teleport there to teach the would-be offender some manners in such a way that would land the poor hypothetic person in ICU.

"So?" demanded Tommy.

Jason just shrugged.

"Do any of the others know you're back yet?"

"No, just my folks. I told you, I only got back yesterday"

Tommy moved – and for a terrifying split second, Jason thought that Tommy really was going to strangle him. Instead, he pulled Jason into a bone-crushing hug.

"It's good to have you back, bro, even if you have a _lot_ of question to answer to", said Tommy into Jason's shoulder; Jason could swear he heard tears in Tommy's voice. He tried to answer, but all he could do was choke: Tommy was hugging him far too tightly.

"Sorry", said Tommy, slightly embarrassed, and let go of Jason.

"Well you did warn me you're gonna strangle me", said Jason, massaging his shoulder. "Some of those ribs are probably cracked"

"Suits you right" answered Tommy sullenly – but the twinkle in his eyes revealed that he was joking.

"It's good to be back, bro", said Jason honestly. "I missed you like hell"

To his great surprise, Tommy laughed. "I missed you too", he said.

* * *

#### 4.

"You know it's periodic evaluation in two weeks?" asked Jason, still stirring his mostly-gone coffee and avoiding his friends' eyes.

"Yes, so?" asked Zack.

"So, I've been thinking", said Jason slowly.

"Jason, you don't think that you're going to get low evaluation, don't you?" asked Trini sharply.

"No, Trini, I don't", he began.

Trini did not let him finish. "Good, because you're one of the best, and you better well remember that"

"Do I get to finish a sentence now?" asked Jason.

"Yes", said Trini, looking every bit as fierce as the saber-tooth tiger that was once her Zord.

"So I've been thinking", said Jason again. "And for some reason, I kept feeling uncomfortable, as if something was wrong. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Any way I didn't look it at, I figured that I was doing fine". Jason paused.

"And?" asked Zack after a while. "Did you figure it out?"

"I did"

"And?" now was Trini's turn.

"I'm doing fine here". Seeing their blank expressions, Jason added: "Don't you see it? _Fine_"

One, two, five seconds passed, and then Trini said: "Oh"

"Oh what?" asked Zack. "What's wrong with 'fine'?" Then he blinked. "Oh", he said.

Jason smiled. "Yes, oh", he agreed. "Fine is wrong. 'Fine' is good enough that they don't kick me off the program, but it is not good enough for me" Jason stopped as if mid-sentence.

"It's not good enough for the leader of the Power Rangers", finished Trini quietly.

Jason nodded. "You two have been achieving so much more than I did", he said. "You're the stars here. I'm just tagging along"

Zack nodded thoughtfully. "I haven't noticed this before", he said, "But now that you pointed it out, it's pretty obvious that your heart isn't into this anymore. You started out as the most dedicated of us. How come this happened?"

"It's not for me", said Jason simply. "I'm more suitable for direct confrontation. All this discussing and planning…" Jason shrugged. "It got the wind out of my sails"

"What are you going to do?" asked Trini. "Surely you realize you can't be red Ranger again". The last words were said in a near-whisper. "This isn't how things work, Jase. You gave that morpher to Rocky, and now it's his; you can't just go back and take it back"

"I know that, Trini. I'm not even sure that I want to be a Ranger again: letting go was so hard"

"You mean kicking off the addiction", said Zack dryly.

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, that's the right terminology", he agreed. "Rangering is a hard drug; I'm not sure I want to take it up again"

Trini eyes him skeptically; if Jason noticed, he pretended not to. "I do think I'll go back home, though", he said.

"Back to Angel Grove?" asked Zack. "Quit the Conference?"

Jason nodded.

Zack took a deep breath. "I'd say that quitting isn't like you… But I won't. You're right, here you're not achieving half of what you can. Go home, think it over, do right". Zack smiled. "It's okay, pal"

"Thanks", said Jason. "Trini?"

"I noticed that you're not prospering here a long time ago, Jase", she said. "You know what's best for you"

"It's not your support I'm asking for", interrupted Jason. "It's your approval"

Trini hesitated. "That's harder for me to give", she said. "For many reasons. I believe in what we're doing here, and it's hard for me to see you go. I also believe that going back is always wrong. I have a bad feeling about you going back to Angel Grove, Jason, a pretty bad feeling. But…" she hesitated. "No, for you it's right. Just be _careful_, okay?"

"Is that a 'yes'?"

"It's a yes"

Jason's smile was one of relief. "So tomorrow I'll tell them I'm quitting", he said. "Let's have a toast". He picked up his water glass, and the others followed suit. "For chances, and second chances. Cheers"

"Cheers"

"Cheers"


End file.
